grrm.astormofswords-第181部分

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said　Devan　was　showing　promise　with　sword　and　lance　as　well。　And　he　is　a　godly　lad；　too。　〃My　brothers　have　ascended　to　the　Hall　of　Light；　to　sit　beside　the　Lord；〃　Devan　had　said　when　his　father　told　him　how　his　four　elder　brothers　had　died。　〃I　will　pray　for　them　at　the　nightfires；　and　for　you　as　well；　Father；　so　you　might　walk　in　the　Light　of　the　Lord　till　the　end　of　your　days。〃
　〃Good　morrow　to　you；　Father；〃　the　boy　greeted　him。　He　looks　so　much　like　Dale　did　at　his　age；　Davos　thought。　His　eldest　had　never　dressed　so　fine　as　Devan　in　his　squire's　raiment；　to　be　sure；　but　they　shared　the　same　square　plain　face；　the　same　forthright　brown　eyes；　the　same　thin　brown　flyaway　hair。　Devan's　cheeks　and　chin　were　dusted　with　blond　hair；　a　fuzz　that　would　have　shamed　a　proper　peach；　though　the　boy　was　fiercely　proud　of　his　〃beard。〃　just　as　Dale　was　proud　of　his；　once。　Devan　was　the　oldest　of　the　three　children　at　the　table。
　Yet　Edric　Storm　was　three　inches　taller　and　broader　in　the　chest　and　shoulders。　He　was　his　father's　son　in　that；　nor　did　he　ever　miss　a　morning's　work　with　sword　and　shield。　Those　old　enough　to　have　known　Robert　and　Renly　as　children　said　that　the　bastard　boy　had　more　of　their　look　than　Stannis　had　ever　shared；　the　coal…black　hair；　the　deep　blue　eyes；　the　mouth；　the　jaw；　the　cheekbones。　Only　his　ears　reminded　you　that　his　mother　had　been　a　Florent。
　〃Yes；　good　morrow；　my　lord；〃　Edric　echoed。　The　boy　could　be　fierce　and　proud；　but　the　maesters　and　castellans　and　masters…at…arms　who'd　raised　him　had　schooled　him　well　in　courtesy。　〃Do　you　e　from　my　uncle？　How　fares　His　Grace？〃
　〃Well；〃　Davos　lied。　If　truth　be　told；　the　king　had　a　haggard；　haunted　look　about　him；　but　he　saw　no　need　to　burden　the　boy　with　his　fears。　〃I　hope　I　have　not　disturbed　your　lesson。〃
　〃We　had　just　finished；　my　lord；〃　Maester　Pylos　said。
　〃We　were　reading　about　King　Daeron　the　First。〃　Princess　Shireen　was　a　sad；　sweet；　gentle　child；　far　from　pretty。　Stannis　had　given　her　his　square　jaw　and　Selyse　her　Florent　ears；　and　the　gods　in　their　cruel　wisdom　had　seen　fit　to　pound　her　homeliness　by　afflicting　her　with　greyscale　in　the　cradle。　The　disease　had　left　one　cheek　and　half　her　neck　grey　and　cracked　and　hard；　though　it　had　spared　both　her　life　and　her　sight。　〃He　went　to　war　and　conquered　Dome。　The　Young　Dragon；　they　called　him。〃
　〃He　worshiped　false　gods；〃　said　Devan；　〃but　he　was　a　great　king　otherwise；　and　very　brave　in　battle。〃
　〃He　was；〃　agreed　Edric　Storm；　〃but　my　father　was　braver。　The　Young　Dragon　never　won　three　battles　in　a　day。〃
　The　princess　looked　at　him　wide…eyed。　〃Did　Uncle　Robert　win　three　battles　in　a　day？〃
　The　bastard　nodded。　〃It　was　when　he'd　first　e　home　to　call　his　banners。　Lords　Grandison；　Cafferen；　and　Fell　planned　to　join　their　strength　at　Surnmerhall　and　march　on　Storm's　End；　but　he　learned　their　plans　from　an　informer　and　rode　at　once　with　all　his　knights　and　squires。　As　the　plotters　came　up　on　Surnmerhall　one　by　one；　he　defeated　each　of　them　in　turn　before　they　could　join　up　with　the　others。　He　slew　Lord　Fell　in　single　bat　and　captured　his　son　Silveraxe。〃
　Devan　looked　to　Pylos。　〃Is　that　how　it　happened？〃
　〃I　said　so；　didn't　I？〃　Edric　Storm　said　before　the　maester　could　reply。　〃He　smashed　all　three　of　them；　and　fought　so　bravely　that　Lord　Grandison　and　Lord　Cafferen　became　his　men　afterward；　and　Silveraxe　too。　No　one　ever　beat　my　father。〃
　〃Edric；　you　ought　not　boast；〃　Maester　Pylos　said。　〃King　Robert　suffered　defeats　like　any　other　man。　Lord　Tyrell　bested　him　at　Ashford；　and　he　lost　many　a　tourney　tilt　as　well。〃
　〃He　won　more　than　he　lost；　though。　And　he　killed　Prince　Rhaegar　on　the　Trident。〃
　〃That　he　did；〃　the　maester　agreed。　〃But　now　I　must　give　my　attention　to　Lord　Davos；　who　has　waited　so　patiently。　We　will　read　more　of　King　Daeron's　Conquest　of　Dome　on　the　morrow。〃
　Princess　Shireen　and　the　boys　said　their　farewells　courteously。　When　they　had　taken　their　leaves；　Maester　Pylos　moved　closer　to　Davos。　〃My　lord；　perhaps　you　would　like　to　try　a　bit　of　Conquest　of　Dome　as　well？〃　He　slid　the　slender　leather…bound　book　across　the　table。　〃King　Daeron　wrote　with　an　elegant　simplicity；　and　his　history　is　rich　with　blood；　battle；　and　bravery。　Your　son　is　quite　engrossed。〃
　〃My　son　is　not　quite　twelve。　I　am　the　King's　Hand。　Give　me　another　letter；　if　you　would。〃
　〃As　you　wish；　my　lord。〃　Maester　Pylos　rummaged　about　his　table；　unrolling　and　then　discarding　various　scraps　of　parchment。　〃There　are　no　new　letters。　Perhaps　an　old　one　。　。　。〃
　Davos　enjoyed　a　good　story　as　well　as　any　man；　but　Stannis　had　not　named　him　Hand　for　his　enjoyment；　he　felt。　His　first　duty　was　to　help　his　king　rule；　and　for　that　he　must　needs　understand　the　words　the　ravens　brought。　The　best　way　to　learn　a　thing　was　to　do　it；　he　had　found；　sails　or　scrolls；　it　made　no　matter。
　〃This　might　serve　our　purpose。〃　Pylos　passed　him　a　letter。
　Davos　flattened　down　the　little　square　of　crinkled　parchment　and　squinted　at　the　tiny　crabbed　letters。　Reading　was　hard　on　the　eyes；　that　much　he　had　learned　early。　Sometimes　he　wondered　if　the　Citadel　offered　a　champion's　purse　to　the　maester　who　wrote　the　smallest　hand。　Pylos　had　laughed　at　the　notion；　but　。　。　。
　〃To　the　。　。　。　five　kings；〃　read　Davos；　hesitating　briefly　over　five；　which　he　did　not　often　see　written　out。　〃The　king　。　。　。　be　。　。　。　the　king　。　。　。　beware？
　〃Beyond；〃　the　maester　corrected。
　Davos　grimaced。　〃The　King　beyond　the　Wall　es　。　。　。　es　south。　He　leads　a　。　。　。　a　。　。　。　fast　。　。　。〃
　〃Vast。〃
　〃　。　。　。　a　vast　host　of　wil　。　。　。　wild　。　。　。　wildlings。　Lord　M　。　。　。　Mmmor　。　。　。　Mormont　sent　a　。　。　。　raven　from　the　。　。　。　ha　。　。　。　ha　。　。　。〃
　〃Haunted。　The　haunted　forest。〃　Pylos　underlined　the　words　with　the　point　of　his　finger。
　〃　。　。　。　the　haunted　forest。　He　is　。　。　。　under　a　。　。　。　attack？
　〃Yes。〃
　Pleased；　he　plowed　onward。　〃Oth　。　。　。　other　birds　have　e　since；　with　no　words。　We　。　。　。　fear　。　。　。　Mormont　slain　with　all　。　。　。　with　all　his　。　。　。　stench　。　。　。　no；　strength。　We　fear　Mormont　slain　with　all　his　strength　。　。　。　〃　Davos　suddenly　realized　just　what　he　was　reading。　He　turned　the　letter　over；　and　saw　that　the　wax　that　had　sealed　it　had　been　black。　〃This　is　from　the　Night's　Watch。　Maester；　has　King　Stannis　seen　this　letter？〃
　〃I　brought　it　to　Lord　Alester　when　it　first　arrived。　He　was　the　Hand　then。　I　believed　he　discussed　it　with　the　queen。　When　I　asked　him　if　he　wished　to　send　a　reply；　he　told　me　not　to　be　a　fool。　'His　Grace　lacks　the　men　to　fight　his　own　battles；　he　has　none　to　waste　on　wildlings/　he　said　to　me。〃
　That　was　true　enough。　And　this　talk　of　five　kings　would　certainly　have　angered　Stannis。　〃Only　a　starving　man　begs　bread　from　a　beggar；〃　he　muttered。
　〃Pardon；　my　lord？〃
　〃Something　my　wife　said　once。〃　Davos　drummed　his　shortened　fingers　against　the　tabletop。　The　first　time　he　had　seen　the　Wall　he　had　been　younger　than　Devan；　serving　aboard　the　Cobblecat　under　Roro　Uhoris；　a　Tyroshi　known　up　and　down　the　narrow　sea　as　the　Blind　Bastard；　though　he　was　neither　blind　nor　baseborn。　Roro　had　sailed　past　Skagos　into　the　Shivering　Sea；　visiting　a　hundred　little　coves　that　had　never　seen　a　trading　ship　before。　He　brought　steel；　swords；　axes；　helms；　good　chainmail　hauberks；　to　trade　for　furs；　ivory；　amber；　and　obsidian。　When　the　Cobblecat　turned　back　south　her　holds　were　stuffed；　but　in　the　Bay　of　Seals　three　black　galleys　came　out　to　herd　her　into　Eastwatch。　They　lost　their　cargo　and　the　Bastard　lost　his　head；　for　the　crime　of　trading　weapons　to　the　wildlings。
　Davos　had　traded　at　Eastwatch　in　his　smuggling　days。　The　black　brothers　made　hard　enemies　but　good　customers；　for　a　ship　with　the　right　cargo。　But　while　he　might　have　taken　their　coin；　he　had　never　forgotten　how　the　Blind　Bastard's　head　had　rolled　across　the　Cobblecat's　deck。　〃I　met　some　wildlings　when　I　was　a　boy；〃　he　told　Maester　Pylos。　〃They　were　fair　thieves　but　bad　hagglers。　one　made　off　with　our　cabin　girl。　All　in　all；　they　seemed　men　like　any　other　men；　some　fair；　some　foul。〃
　〃Men　are　men；〃　Maester　Pylos　agreed。　〃Shall　we　return　to　our　reading；　my　lord　Hand？〃
　I　am　the　Hand　of　the　King；　yes。　Stannis　might　be　the　King　of　Westeros　in　name；　but　in　truth　he　was　the　King　of　the　Painted　Table。